Project Manager, District Strategic Leadership (Project Manager IV)

Job Description

MISSION: The Texas Education Agency (TEA) will improve outcomes for all public-school students in the state by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems.

Core Values:

• We are Determined: We are committed and intentional in the pursuit of our main purpose, to improve outcomes for students.

• We are People-Centered: We strive to attract, develop, and retain the most committed talent, representing the diversity of Texas, each contributing to our common vision for students.

• We are Learners: We seek evidence, reflect on success and failure, and try new approaches in the pursuit of excellence for our students.

• We are Servant Leaders: Above all else, we are public servants working to improve opportunities for students and provide support to those who serve them.

This position is funded through August 31, 2025, with federal stimulus funds. Continuation of the position beyond that date is contingent upon available funding. This federally funded position will provide critical support for the agency to urgently address student learning loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

POSITION OVERVIEW: The Project Manager of District Strategic Leadership will develop and manage the project plans inclusive of budgets, schedules, work plans, and communications related to the following interconnected programs and their associated projects:

• The Effective Schools Framework (ESF) is a framework designed to support campuses with planning and implementing effective systems; the ESF is implemented through the ESF Diagnostic, which provides campuses with an understanding of current state of key campus systems - e.g., culture, talent, curriculum and instruction - to support identifying research-based practices to advance student outcomes.

• The Effective District Framework (EDF) is a framework designed to support districts with planning and implementing effective systems that lead to their envisioned student experience and ambitious student outcomes. The framework's levers consist of systems such as Organizational Planning & Performance Management, Talent Systems, Culture & Student Support Experience, Academic Experience, Instructional Capacity Building, and Finance and Operations.

• Texas Strategic Leadership (TSL) is the programmatic support to coach superintendents and their leadership teams through identifying, planning, and implementing systems and best practices to achieve their envisioned student experience and ambitious student outcomes. The TSL has a foundational landscape analysis support grounded in the EDF as well as a strong emphasis on data-driven strategic planning and performance management. The TSL also will pilot a cross-team board-integrated pilot to provide aligned supports to board involvement in a district strategic planning process.

• District Strategic Advising is the team that is responsible for relationship management and providing high caliber consultation to superintendents and district leadership teams across the state to pursue research-based strategies and connect to aligned technical assistance and support including the cultivation of knowledge management and exemplars from across the field.

The Project Manager, District Strategic Leadership reports to the Division Director of District Strategic Leadership, closely partnering with the directors in the division and other internal and external stakeholders to oversee the development, delivery and continuous improvement of content, training, and programmatic supports to success.

As a leader of fast-moving multi-programmatic work, the Project Manager will monitor the progress and schedule of projects related to multiple programs, communicate with project stakeholders, management, and other relevant parties, and oversee the budget, resource allocation and grant management.

The role entails significant internal TEA and external stakeholder engagement to ensure content and supports provided incorporate our strongest content expertise and field feedback.

This role sits within TEA's Division of District Strategic Leadership, which includes the District Leadership Supports Team and the District Strategic Advising Team which collectively support superintendents, districts, and campuses across Texas with strategic planning, performance management, and research-based best practices.

Flexible work location within the state of Texas may be considered for qualified candidates.

Please note that a resume and short answer responses are required attachments for applying to this position. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applicants who are strongly being considered for employment must submit to a national criminal history background check.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Cross-Program Project Plan: Create and maintain project plans for multiple programs and workstreams including content development, events, benchmarks as well as managing internal and external stakeholders towards rigorous timelines, milestones, risk mitigation, metrics, and data reporting

• Sprint and Standup Management: Plan and facilitate internal and external meeting and project management structures such as running sprints and standup meetings to assign and monitor workstream action items aligned to the project plans and outcomes

• Knowledge and Communications Management: Manage knowledge management for internal and external stakeholders including capturing, storing, and sharing information, deliverables, platforms, etc.; manage internal and external communication channels to ensure all relevant parties have consistent and effective communication across several parties internally and externally

• Budget and Grant Management: Manage cross-program grants including facilitating the grant application process for ESCs, vendors, and LEAs as well as tracking the budgets and resource allocation and availability of relevant grants

• Performance Management and Continuous Improvement: Solicit cross-program input and feedback regarding project plan, sprint and standup management, knowledge and communications management, and grant management to continuously improve systems, structures, and processes to be efficient and effective for internal and external stakeholders



Qualifications:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university

Experience: At least seven (7) years of experience including 1) managing large, complex project and developing and/or implementing project management systems, 2) managing budgets, resource allocation and/or grants, 3) managing stakeholder communications including communication processes and systems

Substitutions: An advanced degree may substitute for two years of required experience.

OTHER QUALIFICATIONS:

• Share the belief that all Texas students can achieve at high levels and are able to succeed in college, career, or the military.

• An in-depth knowledge of strategic planning, project management, performance management, and continuous improvement research-based practices.

• Highly organized with strong long-term planning and project management skills; ability to balance the demands of multiple projects at different stages of development while maintaining quality and consistency across all work.

• Problem-solving orientation, with an ability to break down complex information into component parts, ask questions, synthesize, and analyze.

• Ability to build relationships and strong rapport with others, and an ability to manage relationships with external and internal agency stakeholders.

• Meticulous attention to detail with an ability to produce high quality work in a dynamic environment.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

• A desire to self-reflect, give/receive feedback and continuously improve.

• Prior experience with Texas schools and broad knowledge of Texas education preferred.

As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age or veteran status, unless an applicant is entitled to the military employment preference. To review the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) codes from each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces to each job classification series in the State's Position Classification Plan (provided by the State Auditor's Office), please access the Military Crosswalk (occupational specialty code) Guide and click on the military "occupational category" that corresponds with the state classification in this job posting title.

This position requires the applicant to meet Agency standards and criteria which may include passing a pre-employment criminal background check, prior to being offered employment by the Agency.

No phone calls or emails, please. Due to the high volume of applications, we do not accept telephone calls and cannot reply to all email inquiries. Only candidates selected for interview will be contacted. Please add "capps.recruiting@cpa.texas.gov" and "@tea.texas.gov" to your safe senders list to ensure you receive email notifications from our talent acquisition team and/or hiring division regarding your candidacy.